MAGICAL ZANZIBAR

Fragrant, verdant, and exotic, TANZANIA’S PARADISE ISLES have intoxicated travellers for centuries. Rafaella Barker discovers a luxurious, idyllic treat for the soul and the senses.

Zanzibar. The name suggests exoticism; it’s hard to pronounce without hearing the ripple of a sitar, the swish of a magic wand. A place you might wish for if you had a genie and a lamp, Zanzibar is an archipelago of islands off the coast of Tanzania, a cluster of gems in the sapphire Indian Ocean. Sultry and verdant, it was a nexus in colonial times for the spice trade (and, indeed for slave trading). The port, Stone Town, still bears witness to a decadent past, with crumbling grand buildings, rusting ironwork balconies, an air redolent with history, tall ships, and swashbuckling traders whose fortunes were made and lost on the whim of the weather, the turn of the tide. Across the island the scent of cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and vanilla mingles with frangipani and coconut, the taste of passion fruit, papaya, and black pepper, the tang of sea salt on the breeze and the sounds of birdsong to create the atmosphere that makes Zanzibar unique.

Once a secret hideaway for the hippie generation, it has always offered the romance of dhow fishing, Creole cooking, and a glimpse at the textures and colours of Afr i ca. Now i t has become a favourite of the glamorous cognoscenti too—the ideal place to relax, tune out, l ook at Africa’s tangerine sunsets, and let your soul sing.

The idyll is reached, in true adventuring style, on a Cessna single-propeller plane. The first view from this magic-carpet vista is thrilling: white, white beaches, and an emerald heart where spice plantations still flourish. As we land on the palm-edged runway the airport looks as if it has been built for a film set. A derelict colonial building gathers dust and shadows to one side, and the action takes place in a corrugated-iron and breeze-block shed, where our luggage returns not by conveyor-belt carousel but on old teak spice chests—zinc-topped relics of the past.

There are as many ways to experience Zanzibar as there are shades of blue in the

ocean. No matter how you do it you will be enchanted by the beautiful coastline, where the tide and shallow coral reefs dictate the colours. A bright turquoise sea washes on to soft white sands in the shallows, cobalt over a deeper reef, and a patch of aquamarine, where fishermen and women in brightpatterned kangas catch their haul on flat trays and hand-held nets. Then, as the tide creeps in and the dhows pass into the sunset, the water darkens to indigo before vanishing into a purple night. Over the past 20 years, Zanzibar has opened up and, with much of its spice trade lost to Indonesia, the coast has become studded with hotels. It is a unique place for an introduction to Africa, with all its wild beauty, character, and history.

Here there is the rich mix of influences that comes with centuries of colonial trade. The French, Portuguese, and British all had a turn at the helm in Zanzibar, and Stone Town’s architecture displays this diversity. Magnificence is still reflected too, with carved wooden doors from India, and rich Moorish fabrics, beautiful filigree iron, and artistic plasterwork.

The places to stay point to the variety of the visitors, both past and present. Until recently, the only choice was the charming if basic rusticity of banana-frond bandas: friendly lodges such as Ras Nungwi, Mnarani Beach Cottages, Matemwe, and Kichanga, haunts of free spirits, eco-warriors, and backpackers. Today, Zanzibar also boasts regal grandeur in the shape of the Residence, each one of its 66 villas a self-contained universe with private pool; or Baraza, a resort on the south coast inspired by the long-ago Sultan of Oman’s palaces. These may no longer exist, but the service and golden décor reflect the best of Moorish design, with mosaic tiles and carved doors contrasting with silk and marble. This is the lotus-eating lifestyle at maximum wattage: at the spa, barefoot therapists will sprinkle petals into the bath before a massage, and waiters will set a lunch table under a palmshaded pergola on the beach.

Or there’s magical Kilindi, offering boutiquehotel privacy, and the most romantic setting on a tiny private beach. Here, luxury abounds, yet there’s an air of laid-back romance and tranquility. Within hours of arrival you feel in harmony with sun and sea, as a clovescented breeze flutters through the domed villas. By evening, a romantic dinner on the beach is lit with hurricane lamps, and there’s time for a moonlight dip between sublime seafood and dessert delicately flavoured with local spices.

Away from beach life, the enchantment of Stone Town is something that can certainly not be missed. The 236 Hurumzi hotel is a hotchpotch of elegance, bohemianism, and chutzpah. Dine at the rooftop restaurant, and, as you breathe in the fragrance of jasmine mingling with spices cooking, listen—beyond the sound of rustling palms and the murmur of the sea, you will hear a drum. Like the pulse of Africa, it’s a promise of the continent’s future and a reminder of its past.